On Friday, December 11, Dr. Bernhard Seliger, resident representative of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation Korea, gave a talk on “The Korea-EU FTA, Gaesong Industrial Complex and the perspectives for North Korea” as part of a panel on the Korea-EU FTA at the conference of the Korean Society of Contemporary European Studies (KSCES), a long-term partner of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation Korea. The conference, which was jointly organized by the KSCES, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute and the Institute for EU Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, was opened by Prof. Dr. Kim Si-Hong, President of KSCES, in the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club in Korea Press Centre. Ambassador Lars Vargö of Sweden and Ambassador Brian McDonald of the EU-Delegation to the Republic of Korea gave opening remarks. The keynote speech was delivered by Director-General Kim Eun-Joong, European Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Dr. Seliger in his talk stressed that the inclusion of Gaesong into the Korea-EU FTA, which is uncertain for now, is a political, not an economic issue. Given the political nature of Gaesong Industrial Complex (GIC) itself, he pleaded to apply an “enabling clause”, giving coverage to GIC-produced goods as reward for reforms in reclusive North Korea.

Participants of the KSCES conference included Ambassador Vargö (Sweden), Ambassador McDonald (EU Delegation), Dr. Bernhard Seliger (HSS Korea)

International Panel on the implications of the Korea-EU FTA; from left: Choi Won-Mog (Ewha Womens University); Antoine Chery (French Embassy); Shin Sang-Hyup (Kyunghee University), Uwe Wissenbach (EU Delegation), Dr. Bernhard Seliger (HSS Korea)